What do the different color berets in the Army signify?

Black - Low Speed High Drag
Maroon - High Speed Low Drag
Tan - Bad A$$ Michael Foxtrot
Green - Insanely Bad A$$ Michael Foxtrot, facial hair optional

Just to put this in perspective, this comment is just simple Army humor about beret colors and what units wear them. No disrespect to anyone's achievements or merits is intended based on what beret they wear/wore.

I'm was a commo guy and our chief of police flew Cobras. He calls me, "cable boy" and I call him, "rotor head."

All - Thank you for your willingness to explain the beret to an outsider. From the time I saw the movie "The Green Beret" I always had great respect for those men and their uniform. However IMHO they are the only ones I ever thought looked good in a beret. Any other time I see one I tend to think it and what it takes to earn one has been... well borrowed. Again in my opinion if you have a Ranger badge that already says you are a bad ass, if you have jump wings it already says there is something very seriously wrong with because you will jump out of a perfectly good aircraft. lol - Yeah you guys don't need a hat that is also worn by girl scouts and snooty French artists. You all have my respect.

What bothers me now after learning all of this is I now know that Bergdhal is Airborne. He is obviously the odd man out when it comes to that very honorable group of men.

Black: Let's see if we can simultaniously piss off the Rangers AND everybody who isn't a Ranger.

Before the changeover in 2001, the green beret signified Special Forces, the maroon signified Airborne, and the black signified Ranger. The black beret was "taken" from the Rangers and given to the whole Army as the new headgear. The Ranger black beret was changed with a tan beret.

That someone at or above the O-7 pay grade has nothing better to do, or, is looking for their next star.

Cpl Fermil, here is a good link to find out the history of the military use of the beret.
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/berethistory.htm

I particularly like this line: In 1951, the Marine Corps experimented with green and blue berets, but dismissed them because they looked too “foreign” and “feminine.”

In general, the only use the beret has these days is to distinguish "special" units and provide esprit de corps. Practically, the beret is horrible. It holds in the summer heat, provides no shade from the sun, stinks when wet, and once it gets dirty it is ruined. The patrol cap is much more practical as a daily duty uniform headgear. The beret does, however, look really good with dress uniform and jump boots. I happened to be in Korea when the black beret was mandated for wear by the Army. It was horrible. There is an elaborate ritual to prepare a beret for wear that includes shaving and shaping the beret. There is also a particular way that the beret should be worn. I was one of the only airborne troops in my unit in Korea, so it fell to me and one or two others to educate the entire unit on how to prepare and wear the black beret. Oh, the horror! Those guuys had no clue how silly they actually looked.

my personal favorite beret comment was from Marine Commandant Krulak. When asked about a uniform upgrade to a beret, his reply: “I don’t want my Marines looking like Frenchmen”

Green (Special Forces)
Red (Airborne)
Tan (Ranger)
Black (Feel good beret)

The special forces Green Beret color is homage to their connection to the British Commandos during WW11 who wore that color. Do knot know what the green specifically means though.

Ranger Regiment Tan Berets: Black used to be the color they wore until the (poor) decision was made to make black the army wide color. Tan was used to replace the (stolen) black. The tan color symbolizes the buckskin caps worn by the Rogers' Rangers during the French and Indian War in the 1750s

Airborne Maroon Berets: First worn by British airborne under General Frederick Browning. Supposedly the color was chosen by the General's wife. I don't think it has significance other then what it has now earned as an international symbol of airborne forces.

If anyone else knows more specifics about the meanings of the colors, please chime in.

Black berets signify theft,,,,,er they signify completion of training and being a Soldier.
Maroon berets are for those who need a reserve to the reserve chute. (Airborne)
Tan berets were property attained after the theft of the black berets for the Rangers.
Green berets are sung about in song often enough that you should know they are for Special Forces.
Raspberry beret is to signify the prince.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdUbQTsE-cM

CPL Wagner: To Caveat what SSG Redondo has stated below, there is a red ball cap that only parachute riggers wear, and that is the only headgear they wear most of the time - at least in their unit and anytime they are performing duties as a rigger. I don't think that technically they are authorized to wear them outside of their unit AO or when they are not performing duties (such as when they are out and about at the exchange or something), but I see them doing this all the time at Fort Bragg so I may be wrong on that.

One of the Army's dumbest ideas, and they've had many. Where's the distinction if everybody has one? Felt bad for Rangers when the black beret was authorized for everyone. Other than the distinctive feature, berets are completely useless!

I was never prouder when I was awarded my Green Beret. It made me feel like I was something special. Then the Army started issuing berets to everyone who had completed basic combat training. Not as much pride in the Beret as before. HHC, 19th SFGA, 1st SF.

The Air Force also wears berets.

CCT/STO – Scarlet
PJ/CRO – Maroon
TACP/ALO – Black
Weather Parachutists – Grey
Security Force – Blue
SERE Specialists – Sage Green

A functionless piece of uniform. At least the baseball cap offered shade. The baseball cap took one hand to put on and it didn’t take special manipulation to “shape “ correctly. The military should be about killing the enemy not how pretty you look. Give me a cap with pockets-extra ammo carriers-knife holder -something-anything functional- not something that takes more time to do nothing but look good.

Black - graduates basic

Maroon - Yard Dart

Tan - Didnt get peered out and was able to stand at graduation

Green - The only one actually earned any more.

The ones that got fucked were the Rangers - about all that needs to be said on the color fiasco! Should have NEVER dishonored them by removing their namesake. As a non-tab bearing leg medically retired MI puke, that is my honor to you fine men and women of the Ranger Regiment! God Bless and Hooah!

Bergdahl is NOT Airborne. He got to wear a maroon beret because of the unit he was attached to. What a fucking travesty.

US troops in Europe began adopting berets at the discretion of unit commanders. They were generally worn as a means of informal differentiation and often followed our Allies' approach. For example, tankers began wearing black berets similar to German tankers to be easily distinguished from the mech units with whom they were often colocated. The airborne beret is the same shade as the British 1st Para Regiment headgear. When, in the 1960s, President Kennedy commented about the absence of berets amongst S.F. troops at a formal review, it was taken as an executive order authorizing wear of the Green Beret. This, amongst other factors, is why the Special Warfare Center at Ft. Bragg is named in his honor... he was considered the patron, almost the Patron Saint of SF.
When General Shinseki determined all troops should wear berets, and chose black as the universal color, the Ranger Regiment switched to tan, the color of the 22nd SAS Regiment, as their distinctive color.

You all missed 2, that are regularly worn by Army units, though, I believe anyone assigned to said mission can wear them. I add them for clarity, since I have actually been asked. Light blue is for personnel who have been attached to the United Nations, or UN duties, such as "peacekeeping" or "peace enforcement"(surprisingly differing levels of danger there), and brick red berets, for troops assigned to the Sainai peace keeping mission. Also, there is a new, though I'm not 100% up to speed on it, ADVISORY force, who have a new, I believe "brown" beret. They were originally to have a "shade of green" beret, but that, and their unit insignia's similarity to that of SF, led to a communal "Shit Fit", in the SF community.

You guys are dumb with the weird labeling of the berets. Funny, but dumb Alpha Foxtrot.

Tell you what if you see a Red Beret from the Air Force. You obviously needed a nap and they’ll carry you to your bachelor pad and put you to bed with a ba-ba. Oh, wait that’s if you’re Air Force...

You guys forgot one color, orange. When I was on active duty the unit I was assigned to was deployed to the Sini desert. We were assigned and ordered to wear the orange berets.

I liked the Stetson better. My brother a friend were Calvary

CW2 John Brookins, only SF qualified in an SF slot can wear the Green Beanie, SF support wears maroon. CPL Wagner...perfectly good airplane, the scariest C130 I ever hurled my self out of was a USMC C 130. This was in 1992.

United Nations: Sky blue
Orange: Multinational Observers (Sinai Desert)

Wearing a beret should mean you are a highly qualified individual in a specialized Combat unit.

Handing out Black berets for finishing boot camp was right up there with participation trophies. That's just sad. Also the way it was communicated to the field when the uniform change came about was absolutely horrendous. The entire force found out about it through the media rather than through command channels. Finally, taking away the black beret from the Rangers was really insulting and just handing it to any old yokels that finishes basic training. . . It just seems that if you really wanted to give us all berets the tan beret should've been what was issued to the entire force and you would not have disrupted and insulted the Rangers. Having said that, the black beret for all is a horrendous horrible idea and I hope when the new uniforms come out in May the beret finally goes away and should the Rangers desire to go back to the black beret they should be allowed to with all due speed. And I say this as a five jump chump who had the privilege of wearing a maroon beret for very short while with the XVIII Airborne Corps.

Wags,

Bergdahl wore a maroon beret while assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 24th ID. He is not Airborne certified, he was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge. But, he will lose that as soon as his court Marshall is over. When you are assigned to an ABN unit, you wear the beret for uniformity. But you're still just a dirty "leg!" He never earned ANYTHING!

Sgt. Hawk

On reflection ... I think Mountain should get a beret as well.
How about granite gray?

Black
A 23rd Infantry Regiment soldier wearing his black beret, circa 2000
Main article: Black beret

A black beret was authorized for wear by female soldiers in 1975, and is used also for mechanized units, troops, and guards. The black beret is worn by soldiers in the United Army.[4]

On January 30, 1975, it was officially allowed to be worn by the newly created battalions of United States Army Rangers who had worn it unofficially during the Vietnam War. In 1978, Army Chief of Staff Bernard Rogers required all units to adhere to the uniform regulation AR 670-1, which had not been updated to authorize the black beret for Rangers. In 1979 the new Army chief of staff, GEN Edward C. Meyers, directed that the black beret be authorized wear by Ranger units only. AR 670-1 was updated in 1980 to include this provision.

In 2001, the black beret became the primary headgear for both the service uniform (in garrison setting) and dress uniform for all United States Army troops unless the soldier is approved to wear a different distinctive beret. In 2011, the Army changed back to the patrol cap for wear with the utility uniform, with the beret remaining the headgear for the dress uniform.[5]
Brown
A soldier from the 1st SFAB wearing her brown beret, circa February 2018

Soldiers of the U.S. Army's new Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB) are authorized to wear the brown beret—with a brigade specific beret flash and distinctive unit insignia (DUI)—to recognize these new specialized units whose core mission is to conduct training, advising, assisting, enabling and accompanying operations with allied and partner nations. According to an official U.S. Army article, "SFAB soldiers will be on the ground with their partners - fighting side-by-side with them in all conditions, so the brown beret symbolizes dirt or mud akin to the 'muddy boots' moniker given to leaders who are always out with the troops."[6]
Maroon
A former ACG of the 82nd Airborne Division wearing his maroon beret
Main article: Maroon beret

In 1943 General Frederick Browning, commander of the British First Airborne Corps, granted a battalion of the U.S. Army's 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment honorary membership in the British Parachute Regiment and authorized them to wear British-style maroon berets. During the Vietnam War, U.S. military advisers to Vietnamese airborne units often wore the Vietnamese French-style red beret.

HQDA policy from 1973 through 1979 permitted local commanders to encourage morale-enhancing distinctions. Airborne forces chose to wear the maroon beret as a mark of distinction. This permission was rescinded in 1979 when the army Chief of Staff, GEN Bernard Rogers, required all units to adhere to the uniform regulation (AR 670-1). On 28 November 1980, the updated regulation authorized airborne (parachute) organizations to resume wearing the maroon beret. In the interim, airborne units wore baseball caps with silver wings and the oval flash above the rank badge with the fatigue uniform, and the overseas cap with glider and parachute patch with the dress green uniform.
Tan
A former commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment wearing his tan beret
Main article: Tan beret

On 14 June 2001, U.S. Army Rangers assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment were authorized to wear a distinctive tan beret to replace the black berets that had recently become the army-wide standard. The color was chosen by the members of the 75th Ranger Regiment as being similar to other elite units with similar missions worldwide, notably the British, Australian and New Zealand Special Air Service regiments.

The change in color also required modification of the associated flashes worn by the Ranger units, changing the borders from white to black in order to provide better contrast to the lighter beret.
Green
A Special Forces detachment receive instruction aboard a U.S. Naval ship—off the coast of White Beach, Okinawa, Japan—prior to conducting water insertion and demolition training in 1956, wearing their green berets prior to their approved wear in 1961.
The current JFK Special Warfare Center and School Command Chief Warrant Officer wearing his green beret
Main article: Green beret

In the U.S. armed forces, the green beret may be worn only by soldiers awarded the Special Forces Tab, signifying they have qualified as Special Forces soldiers.

U.S. Army Special Forces wear the green beret because of their link to the British Commandos of World War II. The first Ranger unit, commonly known as Darby's Rangers, was formed in Northern Ireland during the summer of 1942. On completion of training at the Commando Training Depot at Achnacarry Castle in Scotland, those Rangers had the right to wear the British Commando green beret, but it was not part of the regulation uniform at the time and was disallowed by the U.S. Army. [7]

The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) had many veterans of World War II and Korea in its ranks when it was formed in 1952. Members of the 10th SFG began to unofficially wear a variety of berets while training, some favoring the red or maroon airborne beret, the black beret, or the green commando beret. In 1953, a beret whose design was based on that of the Canadian Army pattern, and which was rifle-green in color, was chosen for wear by Special Forces units.

Their new headgear was first worn at a retirement parade at Fort Bragg on 12 June 1955 for Lt. Gen. Joseph P. Cleland, the now-former commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Onlookers thought that the commandos were a foreign delegation from NATO.[8]

In 1956 Gen. Paul D. Adams, the post commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, banned its wear, even though it was worn on the sly when units were in the field or deployed overseas. This was reversed on 25 September 1961 by Department of the Army Message 578636, which designated the green beret as the exclusive headgear of the Army Special Forces.[7]

When visiting the Special Forces at Fort Bragg on 12 October 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked Brig. Gen. William P. Yarborough to make sure that the men under his command wore green berets for the visit. Later that day, Kennedy sent a memorandum that included the line: '"I am sure that the green beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead".[9] By America's entry into the Vietnam War, the green beret had become a symbol of excellence throughout the U.S. Army. On 11 April 1962 in a White House memorandum to the United States Army, President Kennedy reiterated his view: "The green beret is a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom".[9] Previously, both Yarborough and Edson Raff had petitioned the Pentagon to allow wearing of the green beret, to no avail.[9]